FOUR JUNIOR ARMENIAN WEIGHTLIFTERS FLY TO FRANCE
ARMENPRESS
JULY 22
Four junior Armenian weightlifters have left today for France to
compete for the medals of European junior championship that starts
in Amiens.
The Armenian team comprises Ms. Ala Samvelian, 48 kg, Smbat Margarian,
50 kg, Vardges Karapetian, 62 kg and Gagik Grigorian, 85 kg.
Armenia’s head coach is Eduard Kizoghlian, head of the delegation
is Pashik Alverdian, secretary general of the Armenian Weightlifting
Federation.
CO-CHAIRS CALL ON ALL PARTIES TO REFRAIN FROM MAXIMALIST INITIATIVES
armradio.am
22.07.2008 16:53
The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs issued the following statement today:
"The OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs (Ambassador Yuri Merzylakov of the
Russian Federation; Ambassador Bernard Fassier of France; Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza of the United States)
welcome the constructive engagement of Presidents Aliyev and Sargsyan
following their June 6 meeting in St. Petersburg and the Co-Chairs’
June 27-28 trip to the region.
At this important juncture, the Co-Chairs call on all parties to
refrain from maximalist initiatives on the ground, at the negotiating
table, and in their public statements, and to avoid all belligerent
rhetoric, as we work together in pursuit of a peaceful settlement.
There is no military solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Both
Presidents called for invigorated Minsk Group talks during their
meeting in St. Petersburg. The Co-Chairs look forward to meeting again
with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers in the coming
weeks to press forward with negotiations on the Basic Principles for
the peaceful settlement of the conflict."
THE MYSTERY OF THE DISAPPEARING PLAQUES
Pasadena Star-News
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
07/20/2008
CA
A wave of material thefts involving such metals as iron, steel, copper,
bronze and aluminum has prompted the Institute of Scrap Recycling
Industries, Inc. to warn cities, counties and state governments to
beware. Stolen copper wiring and plumbing in construction sites is
a concern, but sadly this trend has resulted in the disappearance of
bronze plaques throughout the San Gabriel Valley.
Historical plaques encapsulate that which we cherish: the memory of a
loved one, an account of meaningful periods in history, a remembrance
of vanished places once held dear. The theft of plaques has escalated
over the past two years and this brazen thievery is an affront to
our communities and their values. Those who snatch these precious
monuments do so with no conscience, selling them to unscrupulous
scrap yards for a menial amount of cash.
The disappearance of plaques locally is an example of a nation wide
trend and is the subject of a recent memorandum prepared by the city
of Duarte which states that the brazen culprits, for example, have
"lifted L.A. County fire hydrant brass fittings, and electrical wiring
near the 210/605 freeway interchange."
Not only do we mourn the loss of precious plaques, but this thievery
has cast a cautious light on plans to erect any new plaques. The Duarte
in Bronze Committee, initially responsible for the Andres Duarte
statue project in Duarte, carefully planned and purchased a lovely
bronzed plaque depicting the history of Duarte’s rancheros, which
was to be erected in the plaza under construction on Huntington Drive
across from Duarte City Hall. Now, officials wonder if it’s prudent
to place the plaque in a public place where it might soon disappear.
The Trails Restaurant Plaque sat only feet from Huntington Drive in
Duarte, in front of the homes built on the acreage where this once
celebrated Route 66 icon stood for five decades. The restaurant’s
memory is honored by the naming of streets at the site after rooms
at the former restaurant:
Waterfall, Crossroads and Hideaway. However, the ultimate tribute was
made possible by Fred Bowden Development and the Duarte Historical
Society in the form of a plaque. Sadly, it has disappeared.
The family and friends of the late Ruth Gardner (1908-2002) were
shocked and disappointed at the disappearance of the plaque dedicated
to her memory which was surrounded by rose bushes on the east side of
the Museum in Duarte’s Encanto Park. From the campaign to incorporate
the city in the 1950s to the effort to become an All American City,
Gardner so tirelessly volunteered for a myriad of community activities
that she was affectionately dubbed "the Energizer bunny." The cement
plaque foundation is now all that remains.
Monrovia has suffered the loss of cherished plaques. According to
historian Steve Baker, St Luke’s Episcopal Church has lost the
dedicatory plaque on the 1958 Parish Hall as well as the recent
disappearance of the original exterior lights from 1926 and 1965. "Is
nothing sacred?" he said.
Attempts to install anti-theft plaques will probably be
fruitless. Plaques made from less durable materials will not hold up
to the elements. Size doesn’t discourage these thieves. Last year
a 160-pound, 3-by-4 foot bronze plaque commemorating the Armenian
Genocide was stolen from the base of the Mt. Davison Cross in San
Francisco.
Regretfully, this troublesome trend has occurred worldwide. Last year
hundreds of bronze plaques valued at almost $7,000 in U.S. currency
were reported stolen from a Holocaust memorial in a Jewish cemetery
near Prague.
In Duarte and surrounding communities, the question is whether or
not stolen plaques will be replaced and whether future plaques will
be created. The final decision may be affected by a recent positive
incident in which a recycling center notified authorities when an
alleged thief attempted to sell a life-sized bronze statue valued at
$25,000. The cooperation of scrap metal yards and recycling centers
may be one answer to the escalating theft of plaques and statutes.
Abandoning future plaque projects and failing to replace stolen plaques
strips communities of the right to educate residents about local
history and to pay tribute to extraordinary persons and events. And
yet, to spend money on plaques that end up in a junkyard is a
waste. Each community will need to weigh the facts and make a decision.
PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Officer
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:
PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon
Armenian version: nian.htm
THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA’S REPRESENTATIVE PARTICIPATES
IN WELCOMING LEBANESE CAPTIVES
Alongside other spiritual leaders of Lebanese communities, His Holiness Aram
I’s representative, Bishop Norayr Ashekian, participated in the welcoming
reception of Lebanese captives returned to their homeland.
Together with the three chiefs of the state, the members of government, the
leaders of Lebanese political parties and religious leaders, Bishop Norayr
welcomed the five captives, considering their return a festive occasion for
Lebanon and a bright horizon for a good future.
##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.
ARMENIAN-TURKISH SECRET TALKS IN SWITZERLAND
AZG Armenian Daily
19/07/2008
Armenia-Turkey
Turkey and Armenia held a series of secret meetings in the capital
of Switzerland on July 8, Hurriyet daily reported, according to
Public Radio of Armenia. A high-level official from the Foreign
Ministry headed the Turkish delegation during the talks, which led
to a positive atmosphere between the two countries, according to the
report. This meeting came after Armenian President Serge Sargsian’s
proposal for "a fresh start" with the goal of normalizing relations
with Turkey and opening the border. Sargsian also invited Turkish
President Abdullah Gul to watch a football match between the two
country’s national teams on Sept 6 to mark "a new symbolic start in
the two countries’ relations".
HAMMARBERG: INVESTIGATION INTO MARCH EVENTS MUST BE TRANSPARENT
ARKA
July 16
CE Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg, who came to Armenia
to see how the countryâ~@~Ys authorities comply with PACE demands,
said at a press conference on Tuesday that the investigation into
March events must be transparent and independent.
Hammarberg said public confidence in the scrutiny must be ensured. He
said his task is to provide consultative support.
The human rights commissioner said this matter has not settled yet,
because he canâ~@~Yt invite foreign experts, if he is not sure that
the investigation deserves trust.
–Boundary_(ID_wLdut3YMgYz0x57gbZJGQg)–
I HAVE COME TO BUILD BRIDGES, RA PRIME MINISTER STATES AT ZHARANGUTIUN’S
CONGRESS
NOYAN TAPAN
JU LY 11
The Armenian authorities and opposition have a common goal and "common
verges" of working together to achieve that purpose. RA Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsian stated in his speech made at the July 11 congress of
the Zharangutiun (Heritage) party.
"I have not come to say that there are issues, over which we have
different views. I have come to build bridges. Burning bridges is easy,
but building them is difficult," the Prime Minister stated. According
to him, the country needs a strong, constructive opposition, as it is
a guarantee of existence of a strong society and strong state. "We
are not afraid of criticism and bold proposals: we need them,"
he emphasized.
According to T. Sargsian, the common goal of the authorities and
the opposition is to see Armenia as a democratic, legal, developed
state. "In the current home political situation I propose accentuating
not points separating, but those uniting us. Let us not permit
our goals to be destroyed in the noise of struggle, become a small
change of political speculation. I hope my appeal will be perceived
correctly. Cooperation doors are always open before you," the Prime
Minister assured those present.
At present Zharangutiun is the only opposition political force in
the parliament, which, according to T. Sargsian, supposes additional
responsibility towards its own electorate, extra-parliamentary
opposition, and its country.
Regular communication train makes a start today from Yerevan to Batumi
2008-07-09 20:37:00
ArmInfo. A regular communication train, being the first in the current
tourist season, makes a start today from Yerevan to Batumi. As Director
General of the "South-Caucasus Railway" CJSC Alexander Kuznetsov told
ArmInfo, the current season differs from two previous ones by the fact
that it succeeded to set in order the whole train, acquire new
bed-clothes and new equipment, though, he said, we did not manage to
repair all the railcars over a month. However, the railcars will
undergo an overhaul in Russia and Ukraine started autumn, 2008, and the
passengers will see a qualitatively new rolling stock by the next
season, Kuznetsov said.
He also added that 6 railcars, the number of which will be shortly
increased, made a start today. The routes will be carried out every
other day. The duration time of the train from Yerevan to Batumi will
make up 19 hours 20 minutes and the cost in a compartment – 9 499
drams.
He also said that Batumi and Poti directions are priority ones for the
South-Caucasus railway also from the viewpoint of entry in the external
world. Today, a work is underway on creation of a terminal in Poti from
the Georgian party. ‘We have to work with the Georgian railmen as the
railway cannot be isolated within the frames of national states,
borders of transit communication with all the neighbouring states are
required’, A. Kuznetsov said. He also emphasized that 2,5 bln rubles
have been presently sent to recover the infrastructure, prepare for
winter and improve the communication systems. Equipment for 600 mln
rubles has been acquired. It is too important for the Company to
recover not only the passenger rolling stock but the cargo one as well.
The Company will work over this problem in the near future, Kuznetsov
said.
To recall, From June 1, 2008, the South-Caucasus railway (‘SCRW’)
accepted transfer of ownership of the rolling stock, earlier belonging
to the ‘Armenian Railway’ CJSC in line with February 13, 2008,
Concessionary Agreement on transfer of Armenia’s railway system to
‘SCRW’ CJSC. Presently, ‘SCRW’ CJSC carried out complete inspection of
the infrastructure, upon results of which it will develop a design and
estimate documentation for upgrading and reconstruction of the whole
infrastructure and all kinds of economies. In the near future, ‘SCRW’
CJSC schedules to sufficiently develop the railway communication in
Yerevan- Batumi and Yerevan-Poti directions.
To note, the South-Caucasus railway is 100% asset of ‘Russian Railways’
OJSC created specially for management of the Armenian railway. Total of
805 km of railway lines out of 1125 km of railways in Armenia are under
supervision of ARW. In 2007, ARW conveyed 3 mln tons of cargo against
2,7 mln tons in 2006.
To recall, on January 16, 2008, ARW Company was announced winner of the
tender on transfer of the Armenian Railway in concession management.
According to the financial proposal, published at late,
2007, RRW claimed of readiness to invest $570 mln in the Armenian
Railway, $230 mln of which – within the next five years.
Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep.
July 10, 2008
‘Genocide’ Question Still Haunts Armenia-Turkey Relations
by Emil Danielyan, Ruzanna Khachatrian
Signaling a major policy shift, President Serzh Sarkisian has
confirmed he is ready to accept, in principle, Turkey’s proposal to
form a commission of Armenian and Turkish historians that would
examine the 1915-18 mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire.
Sarkisian on June 26 made clear through a spokesman, however, that
such a commission should be created only after Turkey agrees
unconditionally to establish diplomatic relations and open its border
with Armenia. But on June 30, the Armenian Revolutionary
Federation–Dashnaktsutiun (HHD), one of four parties represented in
the coalition government, joined other opposition parties in
criticizing Sarkisian’s support for the Turkish proposal.
The proposal for a joint commission was formally made by Turkish Prime
Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a 2005 letter to then-Armenian
President Robert Kocharian. Erdogan suggested that the proposed
commission determine whether the massacres of Armenians in the Ottoman
Empire constituted genocide and said his government would accept any
conclusion it reached.
In a written reply, Kocharian effectively rejected the idea and came
up with a counterproposal to set up a Turkish-Armenian
intergovernmental commission that would deal with this and other
issues of mutual concern. Other Armenian officials, backed by local
and diaspora scholars, dismissed Erdogan’s move as a Turkish ploy
designed to scuttle international recognition of the Armenian
"genocide." They also said that by agreeing to the proposed study, the
Armenian side would signal a willingness to consider doubts regarding
the genocide question.
"We are not against the creation of such a commission, but only if the
border between our countries is opened," Sarkisian declared during a
visit to Moscow last week. His press secretary, Samvel Farmanian,
reaffirmed this in a statement issued on June 26. "We are not against
any study of even obvious facts and widely accepted realities,"
Farmanian said. "Agreeing to a study does not mean casting doubt on
the veracity of facts. However, the creation of such a commission
would be logical only after the establishment of diplomatic relations
and the opening of the border between our countries. Otherwise, it
could become a tool for dragging out and exploiting existing
problems."
Armenia’s leading opposition groups, including the Popular Movement
headed former President Levon Ter-Petrossian, were quick to condemn
Sarkisian’s comments, saying that by accepting Ankara’s proposal in
principle, he called into question the very fact of what many
historians regard as the first genocide of the 20th century. Farmanian
rejected that argument. "It is strange that the genocide issue is
being exploited by individuals who had done everything in the past to
condemn that tragic page of our history to oblivion," he said in a
jibe at the more conciliatory line that Ter-Petrossian adopted
vis-a-vis Turkey.
The opposition concerns have since been echoed by the HHD, which has
for decades been known for its hard line on Armenia’s relations with
Turkey. The party’s official position is that Turkey must not only
admit to the genocide, but also compensate the descendants of victims
and cede large swathes of its formerly Armenian-populated territory to
Armenia. Successive Armenian governments have stressed, however, that
Armenia has no formal territorial claims on Turkey. "Genocide
recognition by Turkey will not lead to legal consequences for
territorial claims," Kocharian stated in a 2001 interview with a
Turkish TV station.
"We have received the necessary explanation and clarification from the
president," Giro Manoyan, a spokesman for the HHD’s governing bureau,
told RFE/RL. "Also, the president’s spokesman and the foreign minister
have publicly clarified that the president’s consent pertains to
another kind of commission." In Manoyan’s words, Sarkisian believes
the would-be commission should not determine whether or not a genocide
occurred in 1915-18 and should instead research "various details of
the genocide." "In any case, our approach is that there was no need to
make such statements and create this confusion in the first place," he
said.
Manoyan also expressed his party’s unease about Sarkisian’s stated
intention to invite Turkish President Abdullah Gul to the first-ever
game between the national soccer teams of Armenia and Turkey, which
will be played in Yerevan in early September. "I think that if the
president of Turkey visits Yerevan, at least one part of our society
will express its attitude," he said.
On July 1, the daily "Taregir" offered an alternative explanation for
Sarkisian’s affirmation of support for the establishment of a
Turkish-Armenian commission of historians. "As is known, Moscow has
always been jealous about the [prospect of a] normalization of
relations between Yerevan and Ankara," says the paper. "The Kremlin
has always managed to torpedo all initiatives aimed reopening the
Turkish-Armenian border, fearing the loss of its influence in Armenia.
However, there have been suggestions lately that Russian capital,
which is increasingly establishing itself in Armenia, is keen to use
our country as a launch pad for occupying the vast Turkish
market. That is, Moscow is not against an open border, provided that
border is under its control. So maybe Sarkisian’s proposal should be
viewed in that context."
RAFFI HOVANNISSIAN GIVES REASONS
A1+
07 July, 2008
"The lack of lawfulness and legitimacy in Armenia affects the
country’s foreign policy," Leader of Zharangutiun (Heritage) Party
Raffi Hovannissian and member of the Armenian delegation to the PACE,
told a press conference today.
Today Raffi Hovannissian explained why he had boycotted the PACE
session. He says the Armenian delegation invested all its resource
and potential to make the resolution a little acceptable, meanwhile if
Armenia is a democratic state, our delegation could be more effective
and compete with our neighbours, and would not be measured by the
same scales.
"Armenia’s external ties and the Artash conflict are in a state of
neglect. The sad resolution adopted in the United Nations Organisation
is an anti-historic and illegal document which was put into effect
by international organisations. Each Armenian should worry about the
state of democracy in Armenia."
Mr. Hovannissian is confident that if we had taken a test on democracy
during Kocharian’s office and made the country a legal and democratic
state, we could represent Armenia at the PACE in due order.
The questions are interrelated and we cannot imitate to be democratic
and conceal our shortcomings," he said.
Raffi Hovannissian drew the presentees’ attention to the fact that
the PACE president considers Nagorno-Karabakh as an occupied territory
by the Republic of Armenia while NKR is an Azeri territory. "Firstly,
we must blame ourselves because our non-democratic stance found such
a feedback."
Raffi Hovannisian says when the PACE president is expected to arrive
in Armenia next week and it is worthwhile to ask him on the basis of
which facts he considers Karabakh as an occupied territory.
As of President Serzh Sarkissian’s statements to introduce reforms
in the country, the Zharangutiun leader said, "Words and actions are
uncompliant in Armenia. Only pan-national election will change the
current scene."